When Sheriffs Won't Enforce The Law
Some sheriffs in Washington state say they won't enforce a new gun law. It's the latest example of sheriffs exercising what some regard as their duty to resist "government overreach."
Last fall, voters in Washington state approved a package of firearms restrictions, generally called I-1639. It raises the minimum age for buying semi-automatic rifles, tightens background checks and makes it a crime to fail to store a gun safely, if the gun ends up in the wrong hands.
The restrictions have raised the ire of some county sheriffs.
"My plan is not to enforce it," says Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer.
Songer is one of about a dozen sheriffs, mostly in rural parts of the state, who have come out against the law. Some say they will apply certain measures — for instance, the background checksOne sheriff said who happens to have a semi-automatic rifle with him on his tractor.
